Moment Ruined
by BlueRangerPower
Summary: In which Karen studies dance film with Claudine and Maya one early morning proving that athletes aren't the only dedicated ones who study film.


**A/N: This one's kind of short, but I tried. I was going to make a small collection of one-shots for these two and group them together, but I'm afraid I won't be dedicated to it. So, I decided to go ahead and post this one on it's own. Hope y'all like it!**

 **Based on a Tumblr post by leggo-my-eggies.**

 **-54**

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"Now," Karen called behind her to the couch where both Claudine and Maya were sitting about a seat's width apart from each other, the former clutching the remote in her hand. "Pause it right here, Kuro-chan."

The blonde pressed the pause button on the remote, the picture on the television ceasing all motion as Karen stood from where she had been seated on her knees in the floor in order to get a closer look at the professional grade couple participating in the national dance competition that had been airing all week while they were busy with school.

But thanks to Junna, she had the idea to record the whole competition via DVR so they could view it whenever they weren't busy with practice or school.

Well, maybe it could be included as a part of their practice routine because they really only wanted to view it as a means to watch the form of the dancers in the midst of their routines. To compare the construction of the professional format to that of their own amateur format to see what could be improved.

While it could be said that the forms of both Tendou Maya and Saijou Claudine were both far from amateur level, there was still room for improvement. Of course, Claudine felt that Maya needed no improvement since she was the top star, but Maya loved to disagree in that modest tone that always seemed to drive the blonde insane on a daily basis.

"Right here. This is what I'm talking about," Karen spoke up once more, circling the knuckle of her index finger around the female dancer's back. "Her back stays straight throughout the whole thing. It's hard for me to keep my back in line whenever Hikari and I are doing the waltz during practice. It's even the same for me with Mahiru."

Both Claudine and Maya had recovered from the initial shock of this morning when Karen had gotten out of bed earlier than the others and asked if she could study the competition film with them.

Usually if there was any kind of film to study, the brunette and the blonde would do it either alone with one watching it before the other, or together before anyone else could even be out of bed to notice what they were doing together.

They weren't expecting her to be awake that early in the morning, but they didn't mind having the company. It was definitely a change of scenery for both of them.

All morning Karen had been prodding them with questions all the while asking Claudine to pause the TV to point out the angles on the two dancers that she was having trouble with during practice.

Definitely a change of scenery for both Maya and Claudine, who were only used to balancing each other out in that category when it came to pointing out room for improvement in each other.

For Claudine, critiquing Karen was way different from critiquing Maya, who almost never made any mistakes in any way, shape or form.

For Maya, providing Karen advice was the complete opposite of providing Claudine with advice because Karen had way more improvements to make than Claudine did.

The blonde was always in second behind Maya for a reason, after all.

"It is all according to how you want to present yourself in front of your dance partner, Aijou-san," Maya began as she stood up from the couch to make her way over to the television to tap on the glass with the tip of her index finger, pointing out the face of the same female dancer Karen was studying. "Do you see how she looks at him like he is the only person other than her in existence at that moment?"

Karen nodded at the towering brunette's words as Claudine continued to sit on the couch, elbow resting atop the arm of said couch as she cradled her chin in the palm of her hand, red irises trained on the profile of her rival as she watched her speak.

The blonde wouldn't willingly admit it out loud, but she swore deep down in her heart that the elegance and poise of Tendou Maya's smooth words were enough to calm the ugliest of riots and bring about world peace for as long as her lips were moving.

That was the kind of effect the brunette had. Her charisma and charm had the ability to make an entire room full of people stop what they were doing so they could pay attention to her. She had a powerful stage presence even when she _wasn't_ on the stage.

An enigma wrapped in a mystery. That was how Tendou Maya could have been described.

"When two people engage in any format of dance, it is almost as if they are the only two people existing in the world at that point in time. The fluidity of the dance depends on how comfortable and relaxed they are in each other's presence. Don't think about if your footing is right, nor whether or not your posture is correct. Just focus on your partner and move with them. Take the waltz for example. Tune everything out and move with them to the music. Your footing, posture, and everything else shall fall into step with your partner's."

Karen nodded in understanding before prodding the brunette with another question. "Is that why you and Kuro-chan are so good at the waltz?"

Claudine straightened in her seat after hearing the shorter girl's question, eager to hear what Maya would say, but not too quickly in order to not give her own curiosity away.

If the inquiry took Maya by surprise, she didn't show it.

Instead, she only grinned. "You could say that, Aijou-san. There's absolutely no one else that I would rather have as a partner."

Lavender irises turned to meet crimson ones, and Claudine felt the heat rush to her cheeks but her gaze didn't waver from Maya's.

And like always, Karen was oblivious to the questionable tension in the air. "That's wonderful, Tendou-san! I'll definitely try that next time whenever I dance with Mahiru or Hikari again! Thank you! You can press play, Kuro-chan!"

Claudine absent-mindedly pressed the correct button on the remote, and the recording resumed. Karen paid no mind to the fact that the other two girls in the room still held each other's gazes.

And even as the gaze continued, Hikari entered the room without a sound and took a seat in the chair in the far corner, hair wet from a fresh morning shower.

She was also oblivious to whatever was going on inside the room at that time and wasted no time in cracking open the soda can in her grasp with a loud hiss.

"Hikari!" Karen shouted in greeting.

A record scratch sounded in Claudine's head as her shared moment with Maya was gone within the blink of an eye all because of Hikari and her damn soda can.

Maya grinned at the blonde as a means of a silent apology between the two of them and turned to face the television to join Karen in further studying of the recordings.

The redness in Claudine's face colored a shade darker in anger and embarrassment before turning to address the silent female in the corner.

"We were having a moment!" She whispered harshly.

Hikari only raised an eyebrow in slight annoyance. "And I'm having a soda."

Claudine was almost tempted to grab the throw pillow next to her and chuck it at the dark-haired girl to knock that godforsaken soda can out of her grasp.

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 **A/N: I tried. Shrug emoji.**

 **Love y'all! Until next time!**

 **\- 54**


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